Dangerous Family Business
by CandyGirl1980
Summary: Maria is the daughter of an Italian Drug boss. Most of her life she had all the freedom she wanted. But one day a drug deal went wrong and now a few drugdealer are after her and her family. To keep everyone safe her father hires the most famous hitman mon
1. Chapter 1

**Title :**** Dangerous Family Business**

**Author :**** CandyGirl1980**

**Rating :**** Mature**

**Couples : Maria/Michael with everybody thrown in it. **

**Summary :**** Maria is the daughter of an Italian Drug boss. Most of her life she had all the freedom she wanted. But one day a drug deal went wrong and now a few drugdealer are after her and her family. To keep everyone safe her father hires the most famous hitman money can buy. This time this man doesn´t get paid to kill someone, but to keep his daughter alive until everything is over.**

**Disclaimer :**** Roswell doesn´t belong to me nor do I inherit any money with this story. All I want is to entertain other fans like me with my tales. And I´m sorry if I offend someone with my description of the town Barker. Everybody from there should have mercy with me and I apologize beforehand. **

**Author´s Note : ****Every review is wanted, even the bad kind. And there are no aliens in this fic. **

The huge white victorian mansion with the big beige windows had always been one of the most famous building of the small town Barker, New York. No wonder with a town, which didn´t even own a movie theatre, a public swimming pool or a playground for kids. All the little hamlet had to offer were a tyne sheriff departement, which was also the townshall, two pubs, which had seen better days and a few corner shops. But the mansion had everybody fascinated. There were rumours that in that building had died at least three people. A man, who couldn´t get over the death of his wife and had blown his head away with a sawed off weapon. A child, who played in front of the high staircase, tripped and rolled down the stairs. When it crashed to the ground, the boy´s neck was broken. And the last was a young beautiful woman, who had been raped hours and hours before her attacker slashed her throat from one side to another. But that wasn´t the main reason for the quiet whispers or that people stopped at the large iron gate to look at the towering house. It was the family living inside. People were wondering what was going on behind the heavy doors, but nobody had the guts to ask. The De Lucas, the family living inside the mansion, was well respected and everybody loved them. Jim De Luca, a man in his late fourties, slightly grey hair and blue eyes, always dressed in a suit, which seemed to be as expensive as his golden watch at his wrist. , had invested much money to save a few buildings from closing and he gave a few people work at his house. But it was still a mysterie what his job was. He never left early in the morning and came home late in the evening like every hard working man in town. He disappeared sometimes for weeks or even months, but no one ever knew what he was doing for a living. Amy De Luca, still a young woman in her early fourties with brown short hair and brown eyes, who looked good in everything she wore, even if it would be a potatoe sack, spent most of her time at the small day care center. She didn´t earn anything there, she just made it, because she wanted to. She had a kind heart and the women in town loved her to pieces. She was always invited to every party or little celebrations. Kyle De Luca, a young man in his midtwenties, with the appearance of a california surfer, dark blonde hair, blue eyes and most charming smile girls ever saw. He was the exact replica of his father. The people liked him, because he was always helpful and he had never made any trouble like any other kids in his age had done. Sean De Luca, the second young man at the age of 27 with short dark blonde curly hair, blue eyes and the smile of the devil. He was actually not so bad if one knew him. But he had made much trouble in his youth and nobody trusted him that much. He had changed, a few years in jail would do that to you, but no one noticed it. They just saw the young boy who stole a car and destroyed the little cottage of Mr. Mulligan. Maria De Luca, the youngest member of the family, she had just finished college and was taking a year time out to organize her life and see what she wanted to do with life. Her look was often the reason for fights among young men or accidents. Her long blonde hair, her light green eyes, her red full lips and her long legs, which she often presented with her short skirts, were the cause of many sleepless nights. But despite her beauty, she wasn´t shallow or even cocky. Most of the time she didn´t notice the stares or the drooling when she passed by. She treated everyone the same and she always had a kind word for all. The kids in town loved her and used every opportunity to see her or make her stay with them. She told the most interesting stories or was teaching them how to read a book. All in all the family was rather normal. At least on the surface.

**Inside the mansion**

Jim sat in his huge study room behind his expensive mahogany desk and was talking on the phone with one of his " clients". He had to settle a meeting with the said person, because it was too dangerous to transact the business in his house. Slowly he grasped a few papers on his desk and eyed the words on it. If anybody saw it they would think he was in the import-export business. But nobody would find out that they would be holding the ordering list of a drug delivery. Yes, Jim Valenti was the most successfull drug dealer in the united states. He was the best in his job and nobody could compare with him. Although he was already thinking about retiring soon and pass the obligation to his oldest son Sean. Just as Jim was putting back the phone, a knock was heard at the door.

" Come in".

At that the door opened and Maria was stepping into the room. Like usual she was looking around. It was no secret that this was her favourite room of the house, except maybe her own bedroom. But she loved the huge space which was illuminated with sunlight from the two windows at two sides of the room. The wall near the door was covered with a huge bookshelf with real books in it. And she loved the smell of wood and the perfume of her father. " Hey Dad. Do you have time right now?".

Jim smiled at his daughter. She was the most precious gift he ever received. He loved his sons deeply, but it was different with Maria. Maybe it was like that with every father of a girl. He didn´t know. He leaned back on his black leather armchair and put his hands behind his head. " For you always, angel. What gives?".

Maria carefully sat on her fathers desk and crossed her legs. She was glad that she decided to wear pants today, because otherwise this could have been really uncomfortable. " I wanted to talk to you about my future plans. You know I thought about it and I want to join the family business".

" No. Absolutely not. Forget this plan of yours fast. I don´t want you anywhere near this business", Jim´s answer was strong and certain. He did everything to keep his family out of harms way and far away from the dangerous people he worked with. That was the reason why he brought this mansion.

Maria jumped to her feet immediately. She already expected this, after all she grew up with this man long enough to know him. Slightly pouting she snaked her arms around her fathers neck and sat on his lap. " Come on Daddy. Sean and Kyle work for you, too. Don´t you think it´s a tad bit unfair to treat them better than me?".

Jim hated it when his daughter used his love for her to get what she wanted. She knew which button she had to push to persuade him. But this time she would bit on granite, this time she wouldn´t get her way. Lovingly he caressed her cheek. " I´m treating you different, because I know that Sean and Kyle can take care of themself", he saw that his daughter tried to protest. Tenderly he laid a finger on her lips to silence her. " I know you think you can take care of yourself. But honey, we´re talking about dangerous people, who would gladly get their hands on such a young beautiful girl like you. I would be devasteted if something would happen to you".

" But I could do the paperwork or make appointments with the clients or even do the ordering lists for you", Maria snuggled her head deeper on her fathers shoulder. That broke his resistance everytime. She played his sweet little angel and he allowed everything.

Jim sighed defeated. She was as persistant as her mother. And how could he say no to his daughter when she asked like that. He was getting soft on his old days. " I´ll think about it, how about that?".

Maria refrained from smiling confidently. She just got her way without her father knowing it. He just said he would think about it, but her mother would do the rest to convince him, she was sure of that. Happily she kissed her fathers cheek and stood up. " Thanks Dad".

" Someday I will get a heartattacke because of you", Jim rubbed his face while he watched his daughter walking out of his room. He was sure that all the grey hair were from Maria and not from Sean like he always thought.

**Outside the office**

Maria waited until the door closed behind her before she jumped in the air and let a joyful sound escape. She had won this round and she was proud that she didn´t behave like a little princess. She only used the things her mother taught her.

" How did it go", Amy stepped out of the common room. She had heard the door close and was curious how the conversation went. But judging after the happy expression on her daughters face, she knew it.

Maria smiled at her mother. " It went exactly like you said. I played the little girl and Dad was pudding in my hands. He told me he would think about my proposal".

Amy was glad that her daughter finally found something to do. She knew that she had been unhappy on college. Her favourite subject had been forensic science. Since her childhood she had the gift to see on the basis of evidence how someone had died. Even today she could indentify the murder weapon just by looking at the wound. But she knew that a career in the police section was out of the question with her fathers business. " That´s good. Now it´s on me to get him to agree to it. But don´t worry I already know what how I have to do it".

" What are you both talking about?", the women had been too occupied to notice that they weren´t alone any longer. Two young handsome men had joined them. Obviously just coming from their exercise, judging after the sweat drenched white t-shirts and the black sweatpants.

Amy turned to their sons and grinned at them. " Your little sister has decided to help Dad with his business and it looks like he will agree".

Kyle exchanged confused glances with his brother. Did their mother even talk about the same man they called father? Because it didn´t sound like him. " You´re kidding right? He will never agree to that".

" He will when he knows what´s good for him", with that Amy patted the arms of her sons, gave her daughter a little peck on the cheek and then disappeared from the corridor.

Kyle watched the retreating back of his mother and waited until she was out of sight before he turned his attention to his younger sibling. " Are you mental? How can you even think about getting into the family business? Are you actually aware of the danger that lurkes there?".

Maria rolled her eyes at her brother. He was always trying to shelter her from any harm that could come her way. But she wasn´t the tiny girl any more. She was capable to defend herself if the need should arise. Dammit, she already had held a weapon before she could even walk! " Don´t treat me like a little girl! I´m just as good as you both, maybe even more".

At that Sean started to laugh. " You don´t know what you´re talking about. Do you have the slightest clue what Dad´s business partner would do to you when they realize that a girl is working with them?".

" I know how the business goes. In case you forgot, I grew up in it just like you two", Maria was two seconds away from jumping the throats of her brothers. They made her so mad sometimes.

Kyle stepped closer to her and laid an arm around her shoulder. He didn´t want to get her upset. But she was after all their little sister and all they wanted was to protect her from this bad world. " Don´t be like that. We just don´t want that something happens to you, that´s all. We love you".

Maria stomped her right foot on the ground before she pushed her brother away from her. " I hate you both", she threw over her shoulder while she angrily made her way to her room.

Kyle and Sean smiled after her satisfied.

**A few weeks later**

Maria was sitting in her fathers office just in the process to finish a deal with some of her fathers regular customers, when she heard fast steps coming down the den in her direction. At first she thought it was her father. But he was on another business trip and wouldn´t be back until the next day. She should know it as his new secretary. She was organizing everything for him and had planned the trips. Immediately she went through the list of people who were in the house at this time. Sean was in New York right now, visiting his six year old son Trevor. Since the divorce, Sean used every opportunity to see him and his ex wife. They were still friends and still loved each other. But Linda, his ex wife, couldn´t live with the knowledge that her husband was a criminell. She tried it for three years before she had to throw in the towel. Now they lived in seperated households and it worked. So, Sean was out of the question. But so was Kyle, too. He was sleeping at his fiance´s apartement tonight. Tess had already phoned and told she shouldn´t expect her brother until tomorrow afternoon. It was weird to think that Kyle was dating a girl, who went to school with herself. Although they hadn´t even hung out at the same crowd, the had known each other rather well. Tess was a nice girl and made her brother happy, so she didn´t mind the connection between them. So that would just leave her mother, who complained about a murder headache and was now sleeping like the dead in her room after she took a pain killer, Phil the gardner and Bruno, the bodyguard her father hired for their protection. But she was taught from childhood that she always had to be prepared for the worst. Carefully she pulled the drawer besides her open while she kept her glance at the door. Slowly she reached into it and grasped the small gun there. Her heart was beating really fast and the adrenaline was pumping through her veins. Sweat was forming on her forehead. For a moment she thought she would faint, but it went as fast as it came when the door opened forcefully. Instantly she jumped to her feet and drew her weapon.

" Dammit girl! Put that thing away!".

Maria slumped back in her seat relieved and put the gun back to its place. She almost got a heartattack because of Bruno. But she was glad that she had scared him, too. He was as white as a ghost and was holding a hand over his heart. " You almost had me piss my pants!".

Bruno, a man who was as wide as he was tall and looked like a mix between Hulk Hogan and Bret the Hitman Hart, would have smirked in her direction, if the situation wouldn´t be so bad at the moment. " Great. Now get your ass in gear and follow me".

" What is going on?", Maria knew that something went wrong. She could see it in other mans eyes. And it have to have a reason that he was so bossy with her.

Bruno didn´t have time for chit chat. Quickly he went to her, grasped her arm roughly and dragged her out of the room. " I´ll tell you later. But now I have to get you to safety".

Maria struggled against the strong grip he had on her arm. He was actually hurting her and she was scared. Scared for her father. " What happened to my father? Is he alright?".

" Yeah. He´s unharmed at the moment".

That stopped Maria immediately. She planted her feet tight to the ground and leant her body in the other direction, so that Bruno was haltered in his pace. " What do you mean at the moment?".

Bruno tugged at her arm stronger than before. They didn´t have time for this. His boss gave him the order to get his family out of harms way and that he would do. But his charge was a stubborn opponent. " Come on. We don´t have time. I will explain everything later, I promise".

" I´m not moving any further if you don´t..." Maria stopped suddenly in her tirade. Some strange sound had made her sharp eared for a moment. Something or someone was in the house. She had felt a cold breeze wafting over her back and the feeling gave her the chills. Alarmed she looked at her bodyguard, who seemed to have realized something was wrong, too.

He pulled his hand gun from his shoulder holster under his black jacket and loaded it. " We´re no longer alone". Then he took Maria with him to the entrance, where the alarm system was. He checked the camera at the front gate on the monitor. But unfortunately someone seemed to have destroyed the camera and all they saw on the monitor was snowing. " Dammit".

Slightly scared Maria took turn eyeing the scared face of Bruno and the defect camera at the gate. She knew that it wasn´t some joke and that something had happened, something involving her father. Thinking quickly she remembered that her mother was probably still lying in bed, unprotected. " Bruno, go get my mother and bring her in the basement".

" I can´t leave you alone here".

Maria thought about little weapon in her fathers desk. " Don´t worry. I´ll just get something really quick and then I´m meeting you both downstairs".

Bruno gripped her wrist again before she could walk away. But this time he didn´t want to stop her. " Be careful, alright? I don´t want anyting happen to you".

" I´m always careful", Maria smiled at him reasurringly before she ran down the corridor.

Bruno watched after her until she disappeared in the office. Pleased that she arrived at least safe at her destination, he turned around and made his way to the masterbedroom to get the lady of the house.

**Inside the office**

Maria had made it into the room and was just in the process get the weapon from the still open drawer, when the door behind her closed with a loud bang. Startled she turned around and saw a small man with a scarred face and cold almost black eyes staring back at her. Although his appearance was pretty scary, the glinting knive in his right hand was worrying her more at the moment.

" What are you doing in this house? You´re stepping on private property, buddy and that´s against the law", Maria hoped that she was sounding more brave than she felt right now. She tried to get her shaking hands under control, but fear was preventing her from that.

The guy just smiled at her and the expression was making her more afraid than anything else. He obviously had a low opinion about dental hygiene. Almost all his teeth were yellow and were a stark contrast to his tanned skin. " The law can kiss my ass. I´m just here to do a job, honey. Don´t worry I don´t intend to stay long anyway".

Maria stepped carefully and nondescripted in the direction of the desk. She wanted to reach the gun before they guy noticed anything. She knew he wasn´t here to give her a message, the knive in his hand was prove for that. He was here to kill her and probably her mother, too. " So, you´re the one who destroyed our alarm system? You don´t appear to be the smart kind. Did you have help?".

" Shut up bitch", the guy, obviously angered at her dig at his intelligence, stormed towards her and pressed her body painfully hard at the desk behind her. His face was a mask of danger again while he held his knife against her throat.

Maria felt the blade digging into her skin and wondered how long it would take her to die when he sliced her throat. Fear was rising in her and threatend to choke her. Unfortunately for her, the gun was out of her reach and she had nothing to defend herself with. Desperate she searched with her hands for something that she could use as a weapon. But except for papers, papers and more papers, there was nothing useful for her to grasp. The only thing she could do was trying to stall as long as possible. Maybe Bruno would notice that she wasn´t coming and would walk in here to look after her. " I´m sorry. Did I strike a nerve? Strange, I always thought men were just sensitive about their endowment. But maybe that´s just the smart men".

The man leant closer to her and now they were face to face. His breath was tickling her cheeks and slowly he wet his dry lips. " You´re pretty mouthy for such a beautiful girl", grinning happily he lifted his hand and stroked her face with the knife. " Maybe I should teach you some manners before I slice you open".

Maria had to turn her head away from the man, because his foul breath was making her sick. But maybe it was also the fact that she would die and this would be the last face she would ever see in her life. " Why me? What have I done to deserve to die?".

" Nothing. You´re just related to the wrong people", the man was trailing his knife free hand up her belly and shover her black t-shirt upwards with it. It was obvious what he had in mind for her before she would pass away.

A new wave of fear was washing over her and made her mind clearer. No, she didn´t want to die that way. She didn´t want to be found with her clothes gone and everybody could see her naked and defiled body. Without knowing what she was doing her knee shoot upwards and hit her attacker direct in his groin. While he bent down from pain she pushed him away from her and made a run for the drawer on the other side of the desk. However the man had other plans and striked out with his knife. For a moment Maria noticed a slight burning sensation at her right side, but she ignored it. She had to get the gun, that was her only thing in her mind. Just as she was millimeter away from her salvation, the man got a hold on her wrist. Instinctively she raised her other hand and bash her fist in his face. Satisfied she felt the bone break under her hand and how the grip on her wrist went away. Immediately she snatched the gun and aimed the barrel in his direction.

" Now I suggest you get your ugly ass out of this house or I will blow your fing brain out of your fing head".

The attacker, who was holding his left hand in front of his bleeding nose, stared at her shocked. He obviously hadn´t expected such a stunt from her. But then suddenly he smiled. " Oh yeah. You want to shoot me with a secured gun?".

Maria was distracted for a moment, because she looked at the weapon in her hand. That was all the man needed and with a loud cry he lunged at her. Startled Maria pulled the trigger on the gun and instantly a deafening report was resounding though the room, just before the man knocked her over. Together with her attacker she fell to the ground and landed with a hard thud. The extra weight on her and the fall knocked the air out of her lungs for a few seconds. All of the sudden she heard the door burst open and fast steps coming into the room.

" Maria? Kiddo, are you here? Say something".

Relieved Maria realized it was the voice of Bruno. " I´m behind the desk".

Seconds later Bruno appeared in her sight with his weapon drawn in front of his body. Horrified he eyed the scene. Maria was lying on the ground, with a man lying on top of her. There was blood trailing on the floor and drenching the expensive carpet under the desk. " Oh my god? Are you alright?".

Maria nodded her head while her bodyguard pushed the body from her. Tenderly he helped her back on her feet. " Is he dead?".

Bruno looked down at the man and nudge the bastard with his foot. After there was no response, he turned the man on his back. Now he could see the red stain on his chest and the painfull expression frozen on his face. " Yes".

" Oh. I didn´t...I had no...I wanted..", now that everything was over, Maria finally grasped what happened and tears were streaming down her face. The shock was gone and now the realization what she had done was hitting her.

Immediately Bruno was taking her in his arms and caressed her back. He made soothing noises and tried to calm her down with it. " I know. But you did the right thing".

Maria wanted to tell him that she wasn´t crying because she killed that man, she had no other option left or he would have killed her. She grasped the concept of kill or be killed since she could talk. No she cried because she survived it. She fought against her fear and had won. And now that the adrenaline was ebbing away, she felt pain in her hand and at her side. " I think he hurt me after all".

" Where?", Bruno pushed her softly from him and checked her bloodsoaked t-shirt. She could be glad that it was black or else she would be looking like she had been bleeding. Slowly he took his hands and shoved it carefully upwards. Maria pointed at a spot at her side and he eyed it. " Yeah. He got you with his knife. But it doesn´t appear to be deep", he inspected it closer. " It´s just a scratch".

Maria tried to glance everywhere, but the dead body at her feet. She wasn´t sure if she could stand the sight. " We have to call the police".

Bruno hefted her with his strong arms and carried her from the office. They shouldn´t destroy any evidence that could help the police. " Already done".

Just as the sentence was finished sirenes pierced through the silence. Within minutes the house was swarming with police officer and paramedics. Maria was checked for other wounds while the police was looking at the crime scene. Bruno didn´t leave her side for a moment, not even when her mother came finally from the basement and saw the commotion. For hours people were walking around the house. Thankfully all the illegal papers where hidden or were looking like a plain delivery list. Maria had been orderd to get in bed, because of the painkiller she got from one of the doctors. Although the cut wasn´t that deep and her hand was just sprained, it hurt like hell. And she gladly had obeyed. Before her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

**The next morning**

Maria opened her eyes slowly and flinched for a moment, because the sun was shining in her face. But after a few moments her eyes got accustomed to the light and she could finally open them fully. At first she wondered why her head felt like it had been in a box fight with Mike Tyson and she could feel every muscle in her body. Then the incident which happened the day before came back to her. Carefully she got up from the bed and stayed in a sitting position for a minute. There she noticed the time and was surprised that she slept into the afternoon. It was almost time for dinner. Still hurting she arose in a standing position. Happily she realized that her feet were stable enough to carry her. However she wanted to be safe and walked slowly out of her room, surprisingly glad in her favourite Scooby Doo pyjama. The house was strangly quiet when she arrived at the corridor. She strained to listen to any sound, but there was none. Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way down the hall. After she had searched the kitchen, the common room and the garden for her family, she decided to go back to her bed. On her way she finally heard voices. Two of them. One was from her father and the other was new. They both were discussing something rather heatingly. She was glad her father was home again and that nothing had happened to him. With a smile she steered herself in the direction of the voices. When she came to the officce she stopped afraid. The picture from the fight were still fresh in her mind. Suddenly she overheard the conversation.

" I don´t care how much money you are offering me. I´m not some watchdog for a little girl. I´m a hitman, not a bodyguard". The voice was deep and young.

" I know that. But I´m desperate. I know you´re the best and I just want the best to protect my daughter", her father was angry.

" Great. Then look for a bodyguard. I will not stick my neck out for someone other than myself".

Maria was confused. What was going on in there? Slowly she opened the door and steppped in the room. Immediately the conversation died and two pairs of eyes were watching her. The first one she knew, because they belonged to her father. But the other pair was strange to her. " What´s up here?".

Jim stared at his daughter like he would see her for the first time. He had been looking in her room while she slept. But now he finally saw the damage. Her right cheek had a small cut and her hand was in a bandage. Thankfully her gash on her side was hidden from her top. " Hey honey. How are you feeling?".

" Like I wrestled with Bruno", Maria eyed her father suspiciously. He was obviously hiding something from her. " What is going on? Why did you scream?".

Jim pointed at the young man standing besides him. He was extremely handsome in some bad boy way. His brown hair was falling on his shoulders and his eyes had the colour of a glas full of whisky. His pissed off expression matched his clothes, which were a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. " I just had a slight discussion with Mr. Guerin. I made an offer and he refused. Nothing you have to worry about".

The mentioned man on the other hand didn´t look like he still had the same opinion. He was eyeing Maria from her tousled blonde hair, to her green eyes, over her red pouty lips to her petite body and stopped at her long legs, which were hidden behind pyjama bottoms. Hello goddess! Where have you been all my life! If he knew how his charge would look like he would have agree to the offer immediately and with half of the price. " I didn´t exactly refuse".

" Then I must have confused the words, because I thought you said you wouldn´t stick your head out for someone other than yourself", Jim noticed the looks from the young man towards his daughter and he didn´t like it.

Maria regarded Mr. Guerin with the eyes of a single woman, who was looking for a little action. And she thought he was the right man for it. He was good looking, he appeared dangerous and most of all her father wouldn´t like him. She already pictured some things she could do with him, at least when the injurys were healed. Suddenly the voice of father penetrated her fantasy. Blushing slightly she faced him. " What?".

Jim growled at her. She was eyeing Guerin like he was a sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top. " Say hello to your new bodyguard".

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankx MarianaTeresia and RedJewel2662 for the nice feedback**

**Chapter 2 Crash and Burn**

Maria looked at her father like he just told her that he wanted grandchildren and that he wanted to watch the production. Then she turned to the other man for a moment. All right, she could have worse than him, but it was still a little confusing. " What do you mean? We already have Bruno. Why another Bodyguard?".

Jim leant against his desk with his butt and crossed his arms over his chest. He expected the question, after all she was his daughter. " Yeah and where was Bruno when you were attacked and almost killed?".

" It wasn´t his fault. I sent him to Mom while I went alone in your office unarmed. He wanted to stay with me, but I told him that he should go", Maria was pretty satisfied with the bodyguard they already had. She didn´t need someone watching over her the whole time. The incident yesterday was just a fluke and wouldn´t happen again.

Jim shook his head. His daughter didn´t see the danger in which she was. That man was just one of many and if he would fail others would follow. " I can´t take this risk again. Besides you need someone with you all the time when I´ll send you to our cottage at Lake Champlain".

Maria breathed deeply in. The painkillers from last night were slowly quitting their work. Her hand was making itself known and the small cut was throbbing painful at her side. " I´m not leaving here. What has gotten into you?"

" What gotten into me? Yesterday I got a hysterical phonecall from your mother, who told me that you had been attacked from someone and that paramedics had to treat you, because you were stabbed. In our own house with the best alarm system in the world", Jim screamed outraged. Well he wasn´t mad at her, he was more mad at himself for bringing his family in this situation. If his drug deal wouldn´t have went wrong, they wouldn´t be at this point.

Maria hated that her father treated her like a little child. She wasn´t so defenceless like he thought. The fight should be prove for that. " So what? I´m still alive! You didn´t make such a big deal when Kyle was stabbed in the back and had to be in the hospital for two months or when Sean had been shot and almost died under your watch".

Jim rubbed his face tiredly. How could he explain her that his sons knew what expected them when they did their job and that it was their fault that they got hurt. She on the other hand was thrown in a situation without knowing why or how it came to it. Besides she was his little angel and no matter how old she was, she would be it until he died. " I´m not fighting with you about this. You do as I say. I´m still your father!".

" You can´t force me!", Maria knew that she didn´t have a chance anymore. Her father was the only person who was more stubborn than her. Usually he let everything pass concerning her. But for the first time she saw the tough business man in him and she finally realized why he was so feared.

Jim banged his fist on the desk as his patience snapped. " I can and I will if I have to. Don´t push me Maria. You´re not too old to be put over my knees".

Maria glared at her father. She maybe had lost this little fight, but that didn´t mean she would lose the battle, too. " I hate you", she cried before she turned around and walked quickly from the office. On her way out she slammed the door extremly loud.

Jim watched after her. The last words had cut right through him. She had never said something like that to him. For a moment he pondered if he should go after her. But he knew that she was pretty pissed at the moment and he should wait until she cooled down before approaching her. Smiling uncomfortable he faced his new employee. " I´m sorry about that. We usually don´t communicate that loud".

" Don´t worry", Michael had seen other scene and had first hand experience with an abusive foster father. He would have been glad if his father had shown so much interest in him that he would move heaven and hell to protect him. But all he ever got was a good beating if Hank had been drunk or if he was bored.

Jim saw a shadow pass quickly over the young mans eyes. It seemed to be ghost from the past. Something that still haunted him. Well, he was after all a hitman, he had probably seen worse things in his life than a fighting among the family. " Now about the contract".

**Kitchen**

Maria stormed angrily through the open door and mumbled something about overprotective males and their urge to play macho. While she ranted like a lunatic she was frantically searching every cabinet for some painkillers. Her hand was paining her deeply now and her scratch was itching. Maybe she could find something alcoholic, too.

" Are you looking for anything in particular?".

Maria startled at the voice and jumped around to face the owner. Relieved she noticed her mother sitting at the counter and smiling at her. " Yeah. My hand is starting to hurt again and I need a painkiller or someting stronger to let me forget my pain".

Amy stood up from her chair and went to her daughter. Carefully she wrapped her arms around the younger girl and pressed her tight against herself. Then she took Marias face in his hands and looked closely at her. " How are you? I mean besides the pain".

" I´m still a little jazzed and I will probably be for a long time. But other than that I´m good", it had maybe to do with the fact, that she hadn´t have the time to think about everything. Yesterday she was surrounded by her mother, Bruno and at least two paramedics, after that they gave her such strong medication that she slept on the spot and this morning she had the little fight with her father. Her mother should ask her that question in a few days again.

Amy kissed her daughters unharmed cheek and caressed her head for a moment. " I´m so glad that you´re alright. You scared me yesterday".

Maria refrained from rolling her eyes at her mother. Why was everybody making such a fuss about her? It wasn´t like she went against a gang and they almost killed her. Geez, it was just a little fight, which she even won. " Don´t you start, too. I´m just coming from Dad and he already gave me the " you´re defencless because you´re a girl and therefore I hired a babysitter for you" lecture".

" Honey, he´s just worried about you. You didn´t see him last night when he stormed though the door. He had been furious and worried. But when he saw you lying peacefully in your bed, he cried. I´ve never seen your father cry, not even when his father died or his mother killed herself".

Maria turned to her mother, who was walking towards the dining table. " He cried? Why?".

Amy snatched her handbag from the table and looked around it for the box of painkillers she always had with her. When she finally found what she was looking for she took it out of her purse and threw it in the direction of her daughter. " I didn´t exactly catch what he said. I think it was something like my little girl, who would do something like that to my little angel".

" Great. Now I feel guilty for blowing up at him", Maria pulled a pill out of the box and put it in her mouth. Then she went to the fridge and got herself a small bottle of ice cold water. Taking a gulp she joined her mother at the counter.

Amy smiled at her daughter. She was slowly maturing and her father didn´t like it. He would probably always see her as a small child, even if she would be having kids on her own. He was still trying to protect her and didn´t see that she could take care of herself now. " Then I suggest you apologize to him before you go to Lake Champlain".

Now that got Marias complete attention. Why did her mother say just her? " What do you mean? Aren´t you going with me?".

" No. I´m visiting an old friend in Seattle", Amy had been under the impression that Maria knew about the plan. Jim wanted his family seperated, so that if something happened he would just loose one person and not everybody. Sean and Kyle had been ordered to stay where they were and wait until they got the green light to come home. " I thought you knew that".

Maria shook her head at her mother. Nobody told her that. Well she hadn´t exactly given her father the time to tell her anything and she doubted that she would have even listend to him anyway. " Are you trying to tell me that I will be alone? In the middle of nowhere with a man I don´t know?".

Amy thought about the implication of the statement. She had seen a glimpse of the new arrival and boy was he gorgeous. He was looking like her first boyfriend and if her daughter was anything like her, it could get really out of control really fast. " Actually yeah. I think your father already made arrangements for you both. Although I don´t think he really gave his plan any thought".

" Yeah obviously", Maria had already a plan of her own in her mind. If she couldn´t convince her father because of her babysitter, she would do anything to be a pain in the ass until Mr. Guerin would rather bite his own arm off of his body then staying with her.

Suddenly the telephone was ringing and disturbed the conversation between mother and daughter. Immediately Amy jumped to her feet and picked up the phone. " De Luca", she listened intently with a small smile forming on her face. " Yeah she´s awake. Wait a moment", she held the earpiece towards her daughter. " For you. Alex".

Maria brightened instantly and took the phone from her mother. " Hey. What´s up", her face was screwed up slightly for a moment. " Stay there. I´m on my way".

" What is going on?", Amy saw the strange reaction and after the day that was behind her, she was suspicious of every wrong move. Throw her daughter leaving this house without any protection in the mix and she was careful.

Maria faced her mother with an angry expression on her face. " Liz and Alex are standing at the gate and father´s new watchdog isn´t letting them in. So I´m getting them now".

Amy watched after her daughter slightly amused. Yep that was her child. Stubborn, quick tempered, protective and pretty loud. She would give this Mr. Guerin a show he would never forget. Poor boy, he wouldn´t have a change against her.

**Outside**

Maria stormed down the driveway with a storm cloud hanging over her head. How could someone treat her childhood friends like stranger. All right, her bodyguard was new and he couldn´t know them. But he could at least ask somebody in the house and not just refuse entrance. From a distance she could see a dark haired boy and a dark haired girl sitting on the ground in front of the gate, while Mr. Hotshit was standing opposites them. He had his arms crossed over his chest and she could faintly see something gleaming in his right hand. " What is the problem here?".

Immediately the boy jumped on his feets and turned to the voice. " Finally. Can you tell this neandertal that we´re not a threat?".

" Yeah. He was holding a gun towards us and was treating us like criminals", the girl added quietly.

Maria faced the offender with a frown marring her beautiful features. " Can you maybe explain this behaviour?

Mr. Guerin snorted irritated at the little group. He had better things to do at the moment, than talking to three teenies. " Hey, I was just doing my job. Your father hired me to keep the estate and you save and that was what I did".

" But that doesn´t mean you should behave like a bloodhound and threaten my friends, does it?", Maria was acting like the snobby princesses she always despised. But she had to convince this man that she was a spoiled little brat and drive him up the wall with it.

Her Bodyguard rolled his eyes at her. Great, he had to be a babysitter for a spoiled brat. Some girl that thought the world belonged to her. He should have known it from the start, but he let her body distract him. " I will remember it the next time. If you´ll excuse me, I have to take care of a few things".

Maria noted the subliminal hate in his voice and she was pleased with herself. It wouldn´t take long before he would take his things and disappear forever. He maybe thought he was tough, but he didn´t have the slightest chance against her. " Then don´t let us keep you, Mr. Guerin".

" Call me Michael", he hated when people called him with his last name. Besides he startled everytime, because he thought Hank was near. He hated his family name actually, well rather the man behind the name than the name itself.

Maria eyed him with an expression that said she didn´t give a damn about his first name. But in truth she promised to remember it and she noticed how perfect the name was fitting him. After that she turned her attention to her friends and dismissed him.

Michael made a face at her back before he walked to his bike, which was standing near the house. It was his most precious thing he possessed. He loved his sweetheart like it would be a woman. He brought the machine with his first paycheck and he still loved it like back then. It was a black Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12 R Supersport with a chromed exhaust pipe and 6 cylinders. Slowly he zipped his leather jacket shut, put his black helmet on his head and mounted his bike. He goosed the engine pretty loud and then he breezed away.

Alex, Liz and Maria just made it aside before he passed them. Shocked they watched after him and his loud vehicle. While Alex admired the machine, the girls admired the driver, who had a nice butt in that tight jeans.

" Who was that?", Liz brushed her long brown hair from her face and turned to her friend.

Maria tried to get her body under control. There was one thing she love more than men. And that were men with a nice machine under them. Oh great, now she had more fantasies about her companion. Like doing the nasty on his bike, with nothing on their bodies than sunglasses and a satisfied smile on their faces. She was sick or braindead. Either that or she got killed the day before and this was hell. " My watchdog".

Now Alex brought himself in the conversation. He looked at her with his comforting blue eyes. Then he embraced her. " We heard what happened. How are you?".

" I´m good", Maria was glad that her best friends didn´t make such a fuss about her like her family. Carefully she released Alex and lifted her bandaged hand. " I´m just sporting a sprained hand and a few scratches. But other than that I´m good".

Liz took her turn to embrace her best friend. Her mother told this morning what occured at the De Luca mansion the day before. At first she couldn´t believe it, because it sounded so surreal. Usually Barker was a pretty quiet town. Except for a few burglaries from adolescents, there wasn´t much crime here. But then she saw the headline in the morning paper with photos and everything. " I´m so glad. When I heard you had been stabbed I imagined the worst".

Maria smiled behind her friend. Pleasures of a small town. Something happened and within a few hours everbody knew it. Not the original story though, because from people to people it changed and in the end it sounded worse than it really was. Like in her case. Stabbed. That sounded like she was lying in a hospital with a hole more in her body and tubes sticking out of every orifice. " The blade just grazed my side. The wound will be healed in a few days and so will my hand".

" And why did your father hire this walking cupboard then?", not that Alex had been scared of him. It was rather the look in his eyes and the weapon in his hand that made him almost piss his pants. All right, he wasn´t the obvious hero type of guy, but he wasn´t a wuss either.

Maria looked at her friends like they were a different species. Did they forgot who her father was? Or did they miss the time when he sent one of his man after some guy from her class just because he accidently pushed her aside in the corridor and she hurt her hand in the process? Or the time as Billy, her boyfriend three years ago, had slapped her because they fought about something and her father had the poor boy hanging from his windows for a few hours, in the nude. " My father thought he could protect me when I´ll visit our cottage at lake champlain".

Liz stared at her best friend confused. " Lake Champlain?".

" Yeah. Apparently my father thinks I´m safer there than here", Maria shrugged careless with her shoulders, although her mind was occupied with the thought why she had to leave the house and why she needed someone to watch over her, especially when her bodyguard was in truth a hitman.

Alex seemed to think about the same thing. Something had to be extremly wrong when Jim De Luca was scared enought to get his family away. Something that had to do with the incident yesterday. " Do you think it has something to do with your fathers job?".

Maria sharply turned her head in his direction. The thought had crossed her mind, too and she was sure that it was true. Why else did her father react so strongly about the attack on her? Or was worried about the safety of his family? " I don´t know. But I will figure it out".

Liz started to laugh at that, much to the confusion of her two best friends, who were looking at her like she had lost her mind. " I´m sorry but", she made a pause to gain her composure, but it didn´t work much. " Maria was talking so determined just now with her scooby doo pyjama, her bedhead and barefoot".

Maria looked down at herself and discovered that she was indeed standing at the gate of their house in nothing but her sleepwear at broad daylight nontheless. Embarrassed she covered her face with her hands for a few seconds to get her heating cheeks under control, before she faced her so called friends with a smile. " Why didn´t you say anything? I was trying to act mean in front of Michael. Great, I had to have looked really threatening with my pyjama".

" Yeah. What was that about at all?", Alex knew that his friend wasn´t so snobby like she appeared today. She was usually one of the most kindest soul in this town. Everybody loved her. Even if her father was rich and powerful.

Maria laid her arms around her both friends and steered them in the direction of the house. " I´ll tell you inside. At least after I have showered and changed my clothes".

**Hours later**

Liz and Alex had just left the house and told Maria something about dinner at home. But it had probably more to do with the fact that her father had come into her room and demanded that she should make herself ready, because he wanted her gone before it began to dawn. Maria noticed the steel in his voice and she realized that she had really hurt his feelings during the fight. However she didn´t got the chance to apologize, because he closed the door so quickly. Sulkily she went to her closet to pack a few things in her suitcase. Unfortunately half of her clothes were gone and so was her suitcase. Confused she tried to think about the condition she saw her closet when she grasped a blue jeans and a blue tank top out of it after the shower. But she couldn´t remember that something had been missing from it. Maybe someone had already packed her suitcase when she and her friends had been sitting by the big pool outside and sipped at their homemade lemon iced tea. Quickly she went into her bathroom and looked after her make-up bag and her toiletries. It was gone, too. Satisfied that she should have everything she needed, she walked from her room and made her way into the kitchen. She wanted to say goodbye to her mother and to Roberta, the housekeeper.

" Do you think it´s wise to let Maria alone with this Guerin character?".

That question from her mother stopped Maria a few feets away from the door leading in the kitchen. She sneaked quietly at the wall and leant against it while she tried to listen to everything.

" He´s the best in this business and I don´t want anything else for the protection of my daughter".

Aha, her mother was talking to her father. Curiously she put her head closer to the door to hear everthing better.

" I understand that. But why are you more concerned about Maria than the rest of us?".

Now that was a question she wanted an answer too. Why was her father almost sick with worry about her and not about the rest of the family? If her mother had been awake and in the office, it could have been easily her that had been attacked.

" Because I accidently killed Carlos only son at our meeting two days ago. It wasn´t planned, but Carlos wanted to pull me over the barrel with the money. Before I knew what was happening everybody drew their weapon and I blindly shot around. Unfortunately I hit Juanes directly on his forehead and his brain was splattering on the floor and the wall behind him. Carlos looked me in the eye and Amy, there was so much hate in them that even I got scared. He pointed with his finger at me and told me that he would take revenge for that. He said that he would kill my family and he would start with my precious daughter, at least after he took her for a test drive".

Maria´s heart was beating rapidly in her chest. Her hands started to shake like leafs and her mouth got dry all the sudden. Now she understood why her father made such a fuss. Slowly she laid a hand on her breast and tried to get her heart under control. But sadly it didn´t work and she was beginning to panic. Quickly she wanted to make her way outside to get fresh air and clear her head. However when she took her first step she collided with a strong chest. Startled she looked up and saw the most beautiful brown eyes staring back at her again. For a moment she was tempted to throw her arms around Michael and cry on his manly chest. But thankfully she could pull herself together in time and instead glared at him.

" How can you sneak up at people like that? It´s rude to do that!".

Michael was taken aback for a few seconds. He had been standing behind her for a long time now and had been listening to Jim De Luca telling his wife what really happened. He didn´t know why, but the thought that someone could harm Maria was infuriating him, even if she was snobby and extremly spoiled. But nobody deserved to suffer for the mistakes others had made. He should know that, because he had a few scars from his foster father to prove it. " Excuse me! I saw you earsdropping and I didn´t want to bust you. I´m sorry, I will try to remember not to do that anymore".

Maria bristled at that. How dare he get sarcastic with her? He almost scared her to death and now he was trying to lay all the blame on her. But not with her. Who did this jerk think he was? " Listen pally, my father pays you for protecting me not for your middling remarks. Do you grasp this concept or should I translate it in your language so that you understand it? You protect. My father give money. Lots of it".

" Now you listen, princess. I didn´t choose to protect such a spoiled, selfish and cockily little brat like you. I was choosen from your father. Ultimatively he gave me the responsibility over you and that means I can treat you the way I see fit. Do you understand that or was I too fast for your small brain?", Michael restrained his smirk that was threatening to graze his features. He was pleased with himself and he enjoyed the shocked expression on Marias face. She hadn´t expected such an outburst. Oh yeah. The little trip to this sequestered cottage would be camping from hell. He was sure of it.

Maria was speechless after she was taken down from Michael. Actually she should be fing mad at him for insulting her. But she was too aroused to do that. Wow, nobody ever dared to go against her and tell her his true feelings. Now that was a man after her mind. Halleluja, she found someone worthy of her. To damn bad that he was her bodyguard and not in the slightest interested in her. Besides she wanted him gone from her life fast. " Don´t you dare take this tone of voice with me again or I will kick your ass from here to New Mexico and back".

Michael laughed openly in her face and his eyes twinkled dangerously ominous. He would pay much money to see her try that. Oh shit, he must be either desperate or braindead to found her manner sexy. Actually it was the look in her two emeralds, which were glaring back at him with such a force that it almost took him off of his feet. " You couldn´t do that, even if you tried".

Before Maria could retort something back, something about finding it out, her parents appeared at the door from the kitchen. They watched the two with a touch of amusement and relieve. Her father was the first to step between them.

" I´m glad to see how much you like each other".

Maria snorted very unladylike while Michael rolled his eyes. Both had taken the same stance without even noticing. Both had their arms crossed over their chest and their expression were almost identically.

Jim took a load off his mind at that picture. He was sure that neither was interested in the other and he was sure that he could send them away without anything happening between them. " You should go now. It´s getting late".

" I´m waiting outside by the bike", with that Michael walked away from them. He knew that now the tearful farewell would come and he didn´t have the desire to watch it.

After he was out of sight, Maria turned to her mother and embraced her wholeheartly. She didn´t want to leave her family alone. Not knowing how they were or if something happened. Unfortunately the cottage didn´t have a phone or even a computer and she couldn´t check with her family. " Be careful. Don´t get in trouble while I´m gone, all right. I love you".

Amy squeezed her daughter tightly at her body and cried softly on her shoulder. She was worried to let her child leave without knowing what would happen to her, if she was hurt or not or if she felt lonely without her family. " I can say the same to you and I love you, too".

Maria released her mother and wiped a few tears, which had leaked from her eyes without her knowing it. Then she faced her father, who was looking at her rather coldly. " I´m sorry Dad for saying that I hate you. I don´t hate you and I feel really bad about saying it".

" I know you do. But don´t say it again, it really stung. I just want to keep you safe", Jim dropped his cold demeanour towards his daughter and huged her. He noticed that his eyes were stinging with tears. Quickly he blinked them away. It was hard to let someone other keep an eye on his family. But if his family survived, than he would do everything he could.

Maria sniffed quietly and pushed herself away from her father to look into his eyes. " I know that. But I´m not made out of glass, I can defend myself if I have to, yesterday should be proof for it", quickly she gave her father a peck on the cheek before he started with his –your my little angel and I just want to protect you- speech again. " love you. See ya", then she sprinted towards the entrance.

Amy wrapped her right arm around her husbands hip while they both watched their daughter bounce away. The two lost in thoughts and praying that it wasn´t the last time they saw her.

**Outside**

Michael was leaning against his machine and was bored playing with his silver keychain in the shape of a bike. It had been a gift from his girlfriend Courtney. Well, she wasn´t his girlfriend any longer, at least not since he found her in bed with another man two month ago. All right, he always knew that she wasn´t the faithful type of girl and actually he wasn´t the kind of man who thought about marriage and this stuff, but she could have screwed her boy toy in her own apartement and not his at least. His best friend Max had told him that he was better off without this skank and someday he would see a woman and knew that she was the one. Yeah, that was easy to say when one found his soulmate already, even if Max didn´t even know the name of his dreamgirl. He just saw her across campus, running in the other direction, her dark hair waving behind her in the air. Michael shook his head, his best friend was such a wussy. He would never feel anything romantic towards a girl.

" I will not ride on this bike with you. You just can forget it".

Michael was thrown out of his thoughts and realized finally that he wasn´t alone anymore. Startled he looked up and saw Maria standing at the entrance of the house and glaring in his direction. The sun was shining behind her and made her appear like she was glowing. Her blonde hair was slowly moving in the light breeze and her face seemed to be flawless. Groaning loudly Michael rubbed his face. The sun had to have fried his brain already, because he didn´t just think that about the pain in the ass girl he had to watch. Maybe he worked too long, maybe he needed a little vacation after this. " Too bad. You have to bear with with this lowly transportation or you can walk besides me".

Maria was close to explode with this irritating man. He was such a prick that she was tempted to walk alongside the bike than drive with him on this vehicle. Her glare intensified when she noticed his smirking face. Then she noticed his head turning to the right side. Confused she followed his glance and spotted something that let her heart beat strongly in her chest, her feet feel like jello and her eyes to widen twice their size. In the driveway was standing the favourite toy of her father. A white 1965´er Ford Mustang convertible with a black cloth hood. It was looking as new and Maria loved this car more than anything, because her father brought it the year she was born. Triumpingly she made a fist and pulled her arm backwards. " Strike".

" What´s up princess? Are we going or what?", Michael was surprised about the pure joy in Marias expression. He hadn´t ever saw a girl almost drooling at the sight of a classic car. At first he thought she was glad that they didn´t have to take the bike, but then he noticed her eyes, which had been sparkling like two big emeralds.

Maria rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out. Did he have to kill her happy mood? Jerk. " Don´t get your boxers in a twist. We´re going now".

Michael walked in the direction of the car with a little black sportsbag in his hand. He didn´t need so much and actually he didn´t possess that much. At least not much that meant something to him. He just took a few clothes, a few books and most importantly his weapons. " Like you have any effect on my boxer´s", he opened the trunk and threw his bag in it. He saw the large suitcase already occupying most of the space and wondered what she had been packing. Probably designer dresses and uncomfortable shoes or even stuff for her war paint. Didn´t she realized that they were hiding from dangerous people and not have a vacation in Milan? More forcefully than he intendent he closed the trunk and made his way to the driver´s side. " And for the record. I don´t even wear anything underneath".

Maria grinned evily at him while he got in the car. " That´s great. Neither do I".

Michael was speechless for a moment. He had said it as a joke, of course he wore something underneath. Oh shit. Quickly he stepped on the gas, because he didn´t trust himself to sneak a peek at her to see if she was telling the truth. Damn this drive would be pure hell. At least for him.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanx to MarianaTeresia****RedJewel2662, Magali, vampout for the nice feedback. This chapter will make you happy. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 3 On the road**

The drive was pretty much held in silence, except for the radio blaring something that was supposed to be Music. Maria was watching the surroundings passing them by and wondered what she still should do to scare Michael away. He was quite annoyed with her, that much was for sure, but he wasn´t at the point where he was fed up with her and left. No, for every snobby comment he had a comeback and they were even good. Damn him and damn her father sending her into exil with this fine piece of the male species. She was angry at herself for finding his manner so attractive and angry at him for driving her crazy with the dark twinkling in his eyes. A quiet moan escaped her when she thought about the way his eyes had darted to her jeans once in a while after she made the comment about her supposedly none existent underwear. Of course she was wearing something underneath her pants, she just left her panties in the drawer when she had a skirt on. Cursing her betraying body and its reaction to her companion, she tried to banish her thoughts and concentrate harder on the outside. They had been obviously already past the cities and where now on a lone country road. On both sides were trees, trees and more trees. Here and there another car would be cross their way. But other than that it was pretty deserted. No wonder, it was vacation time and most people were either away or relaxing at home. Irritated with the same view Maria turned her attention to the radio, which was still playing this strange sound that was sounding like someone was tortured or killed, maybe even both. All right, she liked her music a little darker herself, but this was too dark for her. Slowly she stretched her arm out and changed to a station that was playing " "Enter Sandman" from Metallica. Happily she bopped her head to the beat and sang along the lyrics.

_Something's wrong, shut the light  
Heavy thoughts tonight  
And they aren't of snow white_

Dreams of war, dreams of liars  
Dreams of dragon's fire  
And of things that will bite

Sleep with one eye open  
Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light  
Enter night  
Take my hand  
Off to never never land

" I didn´t think of you like the kind of girl that knows the exact words to a Metallica song", Michael was pretty impressed. She had more to offer than it looked at the first sight. He had thought she was a spoiled little princess that was throwing Daddy´s money out and was just behaving like a well trained border collie. But which girl in her position could sing along with Metallica?

Maria had been so much into the song that she hadn´t heard his question properly. She turned down the music a bit and faced Michael. " What did you say?".

Michael smiled at that. He knew that kind of stage, too. He often was getting into the songs that he forgot the world around him for a while. " I was just saying that I´m surprised that you know the song. I mean you don´t look like the girl that has such a taste in music".

" And which taste of music do I look like? Britney? Jessica Simpson? Or more Mariah Carey?", Maria wasn´t against pop or the artists, she even liked a few songs from them. But she found the comfort she needed in the lyrics of Staind, Metallica and most of all Linkin Park. Not that she could relate to them, because she didn´t have any problems with her parents or the lack of friends or even nonexisting invitation from boys. However she knew how the world worked and it wasn´t nice.

Michael scratched his eyebrow embarressed. Now he got himself in hot water. After the sharp tone in her voice he obviously had said something wrong. Damn her and her unbelievable good smelling body. He couldn´t grasp one clear thought since they were driving. Every few seconds he got the urge to stop at the roadside and christen the backseat in this car. " I thought more in the direction of some boygroup or something Sarah McLachlan-ish"

Maria glared at him like she wanted to kill him with her glance. How dare he judge her after her appearance? She outgrew the phase where she listened to the Backstreet Boys and N Sync when she turned fiveteen. Besides she had been young and didn´t have any taste at that time. " That´s really nice. You know it´s rude to assume something because of the look of it. You shouldn´t judge a book after its cover. ".

" Oh wow, did you read this wisdom in a fortune cookie? Or was it the motto of some fashion designer?", Michael knew that he was a bit out of line. He was acting like the people he despised since he was a child. People who were treating him after his appearance. They thought he was stupid and would wind up dead before he was twenty or in jail.

Maria hurt that assumption a little, although she didn´t show it on the outside. She wasn´t some dumb princess that just went shopping or partied all night. She had brain, bravery and the will to make something out of her. " I should comment on that. But that would mean I have to get down to your level and I´m not interested to behave like a bad boy wannabe like you".

Michael smirked in her direction. His words had struck a nerve in her or else she wouldn´t get so insulting. Aha, he found her weak spot. " I think it´s rather the fact that you don´t have a smart comeback, I mean it´s hard to think when you just have half of a brain cell".

" At least I have a brain cell. Even if it´s just the half of it. That´s more than I can say about you", sweetly smiling at him Maria was close to show him the middle finger and tell him where he could shove it. But she refrained herself from doing it, because she was sure that it would be exactly what he wanted her to do.

Michael held his hand mockingly over his heart and made a shocked expression. " You wound me, princess. You really do. But that´s just proof that I have a heart, contrary to you. Tell me, is it hard to be so cold all the time or is it just natural for you?".

Maria felt this words like they were a slap to her face. It was the first time for her that she was told that she was cold towards others, what usually wasn´t the case, because she wasn´t like that. She loved her family and her friends, the kids adored her and the people in town just thought kindly of her. So it was a new feeling for her to be rated as an Ice Queen. She wanted him to think that she was spoiled and maybe a little bitchy. But not heartless. " You don´t know me, so don´t you dare try to judge me in any kind".

" What´s up? Truth hurts, doesn´t it?", Michael enjoyed his little victory. He won this fight and he was damn proud of it. That was at least until he saw something that let a little guilt rise in him. Although Maria had turned her head, he had noticed a few tears glistening in her eyes. Obviously she was as vulnerable as anybody else and he started to feel bad about saying those words. " I´m sorry. That sounded more cruel than I meant it".

Maria raised her arm and pushed her palm in his direction as a sign that she didn´t want to hear a word from him. What he said hurt her pretty deep. She wasn´t some heartless little bitch that thought she was better than anybody else and she didn´t want anybody thinking that about her. " stow it".

Michael had done some shit in his life and he hadn´t regretted anything. Well, except for a few things that went wrong. Like his time with Hank. If he could change anything, he would have fought back against his foster father. And his relationship with Courtney. The next time some blonde skank would throw herself on him at their first date, he would run the other way and that pretty fast. But right now he felt something he never felt before. Remorse. Slowly he faced Maria and realized she was watching the scenery passing by. She probably was cursing his name and the day he was born. Truthfully he couldn´t blame her. He was always acting that way towards people he thought had it better in their lifes. It was easier to hurt someone than to get hurt himself. He was hiding behind a wall of indifference and thought it protected him from any harm. Maybe that was the reason why he didn´t have many friends or even a steady girlfriend. He was sure that if he wouldn´t have known Max and his sister Isabel from their time in the orphanage, he wouldn´t even have those friends in his life. Some people called him a bastard and it may even be true. He didn´t know, because he didn´t know his parents and honestly he hadn´t the desire to look for them. Not once did he have the feeling to see them and ask why they didn´t want him. Actually he didn´t care, because he grew up without them and he didn´t miss anything in his life.

" You just drove past our exit", Marias cold voice penetrated his thoughts and brought him back to the present.

Immediately he stepped on the brakes and made a sharp u-turn with squeaking tires. Maria had to hold onto the doorhandle to keep herself in her seat. But despite her best effords her body was thrown from one side to the other. She was glad that her stomach was pretty strong or else she would have lost her food right now. " Are you trying to kill us, you idiot?".

Michael pressed his teeth tightly together to prevent him from snapping back at her. It was her fault that they missed their exit. She was the reason why he had been so deep in thought. She brought things up he didn´t want to think about. " Relax, will you! I know what I´m doing".

" Yeah, the famous last words", Maria was glad that they were almost at the cabin. They just had to drive on the small forest road for a few miles and then they would finally arrive at their destination. There she could avoid him for the rest of their little trip.

Michael rolled his eyes at her although she couldn´t see it, because he was looking straight forward. He had to keep an eye on the uneven ground they drove on, he didn´t want to harm the beautiful car. The path appeared like not many cars had been on their way here, because there were usually skidmarks in the soil, especially if the path was mostly made of mud and a little lawn. But it wasn´t the case here and hence they didn´t have much problems driving through it. The only thing that was bothering a bit were the long branches from the trees and the thick grown bushes, which were sometimes slapping at his body. But after a few minutes of wishing for a small machete like Indiana Jones had it, they came out of the tiny jungle and for the first time Michael laid his eyes on the hidden cabin from the notorious Jim DeLuca. He imaged it pretentious like his mansion had been, just smaller. But what he saw let him blink once or twice, because he was sure that he was dreaming. The cottage was looking like it would be falling apart every second. It was big and that was the only nice thing he could say about that dump. Well maybe the white swim hammock wasn´t all that bad either. But everything else was a nightmare. Carefully he parked the car at a safe distance, he didn´t want to endanger the mustang and took in the sight from a closer position. Unfortunately it didn´t get better and he was getting out of the car with a frown on his face.

" Damn thing! Why don´t you make what I want! Arrgh! Stupid piece of shit!".

Michael turned away from the horrifying view and went to Maria, who was fighting with her huge suitcase, which didn´t seem to want out of the trunk. She was pulling at the handle and swearing like a sailor while she was at it. He chuckled slightly at the picture. She was just too cute with her slightly reddened face and the dirty words coming out of her mouth. " Should I help you?".

Maria faced him with an raised eyebrow and threw her hair over her shoulder. Help from him? No, she would rather cut off her leg with a spoon than take his offer. " No. I don´t need your help. I can do it alone".

" It´s getting dark soon and I want to be inside by then", Michael watched her failed attempts to get her suitcase out of the trunk. It seemed to be stuck somewhere and wasn´t moving an inch. But she wasn´t giving up and pulled harder.

At this point Marias patience snapped. Angrily she let go of her suitcase, grasped his black bag and thrust it annoyingly into his hands. " Here. Now you can go inside", after that she gripped the handle of her suitcase with both hands again while she put her right food on the bumper and pulled with all her might.

Michael stared at her with an amused expression. Now he wanted to see if she would accomplish to get the big thing out. He dropped his luggage on the ground and observed her battle. He laughed quietly everytime a curse flew from her mouth. Then it happened. The handle from the suitcase ripped and Maria fell backwards from the force of the pull she had before. Unfortunately she landed with her ass directly in a disgusting brown puddle, which let her anger hit a new level. The scream that followed from her had been probably heard in the next few galaxies. Trying to keep his amusement from his face, he went to his fallen companion and offered his hand. " Are you alright?".

" Do I look alright to you? Do I look like I´m fing okay?", pissed Maria slapped his hand away from her. After that she jumped to her feet, all the while trying not to look to embarressed and stomped into the cabin.

Michael couldn´t control his expression anymore and he broke out in laughter. This time it wasn´t her stubborn character that refused his help or the angry expression on her face. It was the strange looking brown stain on her jeans covering her butt. That finally made his day and he thought that their little vacation wouldn´t be so bad after all. He hadn´t laughed so much in his entire life like he did in the few hours he knew her. She was a royal pain in his ass, but he was starting to like her. She was fun and really entertaining. Wiping a few tears from his face, he started to pull the luggage from the trunk, which was easier than he thought. He just had to tug a little to the left and viola the suitcase was out. Pleased with himself he followed Maria and walked into the cottage. Already he first step inside let him swallow hard and drop the bags in his hands. After the appearance outside he assumed the inside was just as bad. But surprised he saw that interior was the exact opposite. The floor was parquet, the walls made out of concrete, the wood door was in truth steel and a heavy lock was there to keep everyone not from the family out. The decor was appearing to be made from the Mrs., because the color and the arrangement from the furniture screamed of a womans touch. It had the feeling of a nice, cozy home. Maybe it was the bright red walls and the comfortable looking armchairs or the big fireplace dominating the living room, but he liked it here. Now he noticed for the first time how tired he got. The long drive had been more exhausting than he thought. Stretching his back he looked for a room to sleep in or for his missing partner. He hadn´t seen her for minutes now and it was too quiet. Worriedly he opened a few doors and discovered a room with two beds. On the walls were hanging posters of cars, bikes and even some about sport. It was obviously the bedroom of Marias brothers. He had seen picture from them and he even realized that he knew the oldest Sean from a game of poker in Las Vegas. Michael had lost almost thousand dollar to him that night, but in return they both got drunk and partied together. After that they never saw each other again, although they planned a rematch, so that he could win his money back. That was three years ago. He decided to use the boys room to sleep in, because he wanted Maria in sight and this was the only room with two beds. Well their had to be a double bed, but he didn´t want to sleep in something his boss slept with his wife. That was just to disturbing. Shaking his head he put the luggage into the room and then went looking for Maria. He got worried, because he hadn´t heard anything in the last few minutes from her and he found this a little odd, considering her joy to butt in every topic. When he learned something about her the last hours, then it was her ability to talk someone to death. Michael was so deep in thoughts about his charge and her pretty lip glossed mouth that was tempting him to taste them and see if they were as sweet as he thought, that he didn´t even realize that he was just opening the door to the bathroom. Suddenly his mind was crashing back to earth when he laid his eyes on Marias naked body that was stepping out of the shower. For a few seconds he enjoyed the view, after all he was still a guy and she was a girl. Bitchy, snobby and totally stuck up, but perfectly built. She had curves at the right places. She wasn´t extremly skinny like those models, she was healthy thin. Her breasts were small, but fitting for her petite body. Her legs were lean and long, worthy to beg for and she was a real blonde as much as he could see. However he hadn´t enough time to examine her backside, because Maria noticed his presence and immediately hid her nakedness behind a large towel.

" What do you think you´re doing, you perv. Get out of here".

Michael raised his left eyebrow at her, like he wanted to say that she shouldn´t make such a fuss. It wasn´t his first time that he saw a naked girl. " Don´t worry princess, I didn´t see anything I haven´t seen many times before".

Maria was close to do something that would bring her behind bars and would ensure her a place right besides Satan in hell. Like her day hadn´t been shitty enough, now that was like the icing on the cake. " Yeah. You should keep this picture in mind, because it is the last time you have seen it".

" Your body isn´t so special like you think. You look like a twelve year old", Michael would have been glad the words he was saying were true, because then he would finally have room in his jeans again. But unfortunately he was so fing turned on right now that he noticed his hands itching to caresses the white flesh of breast peaking from the towel.

Maria let her gaze wander down his body and found something very interesting. Smiling brightly she faced him and licked her lips seductively, before she crossed her arms over her chest and pushed her breasts a little higher. " Tell that to your penis, because he seems to think differently".

Michael felt her glance until to his very core. It was like she was stroking his body with her eyes. Groaning loudly he observed the way her tongue came out to wet her lips. Damn her! She knew what she was doing to him and she enjoyed it, too. " We´re often in disagreement. Don´t think it has anything to do with you".

" Right. Tell that yourself as often as you like and maybe someday you will even believe it", Maria rolled her eyes at him and then turned her attention to the mirror over the sink. It was her way of dismissing her companion. Besides she still had to take care of her hair or it would look like shit in the morning. Slowly she took away the towel that was covering her head and let her blonde mane fall down. Troplets of water were sliding down her shoulder and disappearing under the towel. Just as she was in the act to brush her hair, she noticed that Michael was still standing at the door and watching. " You´re still there. What do you still want?".

Michael seemed to give himself a mental shake. He had been observing the tiny drop of water, which had fallen from one strand of hair and pushed his way over the bone of her shoulder down to the top of her breast to disappear under her towel. He had to get away from her and the nice smell hanging in the air before he lost everything in his pants. " I just wanted to inform you that we will be sharing a room together. The one with the two beds actually".

Maria stopped combing her hair and quickly twirled around to face him. " You´re kidding, right? Because I sure as hell won´t share a fing room with you. With my luck you have wandering hands and they grope me in my sleep".

" Don´t flatter yourself princess".

Maria was fed up with him. Angrily she stormed towards him and glared at him with darkening eyes. Her usual green eyes were slowly changing to a almost black shade and they were blazing dangerously. " Stop calling me princess! I have a name you know!".

Each word was followed with a sharp poke of her finger and Michael took it in his hands before he would get a bruise from her treatment. Oh shit, this side was more arousing then everything he saw before. Not even her naked body could make him harder at this point. " Oh come on. I like the name. It is matching your personality".

" All right, you want to play this game like that, I can do that, too. Dickhead", Maria finally realized how close she was to Michael. It wouldn´t need much for them to kiss each other. She already could smell his scent that was a mix of cheap soap and some musk. His hot breath was tickling her face and made her want to drop the towel here and now.

Michael also noticed the position they both were in. He could feel the heat of her body and the smell of strawberry and watermelone was hitting his senses and made him shutting his brain off. He wouldn´t need it anyway for the things he wanted to do with Maria. Carefully his hands were gliding over her arms towards her shoulders. His heart started pumping the blood stronger, all his nerves were tearing up from suspense and his lower region was jumping from joy. Like in slow motion they both bent towards each other. Just as they were almost kissing, Michael´s cell phone rang in his jeans. The moment was broken and they backed away embarressed and slightly disappointed.

" I think you should take the call", Maria tried to look everywhere, just not directly at Michael. She was confused what made her want to kiss him. Maybe her father was right, her scented candles were slowly destroying her brain, because she couldn´t understand herself right now. An hour ago she wished him to hell and now she wanted to jump his bones.

Michael scratched his eyebrow nervously. Now that was what he called an akward situation. Holy shit, he almost screwed the daughter of his boss and the reason for this job in the first place. " Yeah. I leave you alone now".

Maria rubbed her face while she watched him shut the door after he stepped out of the bathroom. Breathing out relieved she put her forehead at the cool wood and tried to get her pounding heart under control. Now that happened when she hadn´t have sex for too long. She should have listened to Alex and use a guy for a little relief.

Michael meanwhile stood outside in the hall and shook his head at his own stupidy. Firstly he shouldn´t have done that right now and secondly he should have left his cell phone with his bag in the room. Angrily he took it out of his jacket and lifted it on his ear without checking what was standing on the display. " Yeah Guerin!".

" _Michael?"._

" Courtney? Why are you calling me?", Michael leant his body on the wall besides him. He didn´t need this shit right now. Actually he should hang up and act like he didn´t know her. But part of him wanted to listen what she had to say and maybe figure out why she cheated on him.

" _I just wanted to say that I´m soo sorry for hurting you and I didn´t mean it. The guy you have seen didn´t mean anything to me. I had a few drinks too much and I didn´t know what I was doing and with who"._

Michael was glad that Courtney wasn´t standing near him, because he would have gladly slapped her face for that lie. Besides every cheater used the line about alcohol. " Do you think I´m stupid? Don´t give me this bullshit about being drunk! That was maybe the first time when I saw you with this motherfer, but not the second time".

" _Please Michael. I´m really sorry. You don´t know how much I miss you right now. Please give us another chance. I will try to be a better girlfriend"._

Michael was usually getting soft when he heard her cry. But this time he just felt disgust towards her. " What´s up? You´re new boytoy not satisfying you enough? Or what is the reason for you to come back crawling?".

" _How can you imply that I would call because of sex? I´m calling because I love you and realized that I made a mistake"._

At that Michael broke out in laughter. But it wasn´t in any kind funny. It sounded cold and sarcastic. " Don´t tell me you believe this bullshit? Because I sure as hell don´t. I don´t want to hear your excuses, nor do I want to see you ever again".

" _Why do you throw what we had so easily away? Didn´t I mean anything to you?"._

" Don´t try to make me the bad guy here, because I didn´t throw anything away! You were the one destroying our relationship over and over again and I took you back everytime! But now I´m sick of your games! I don´t want to hear your voice, I don´t want to see your face and I don´t want to think about you anymore! So I suggest you delete this number and forget that I even exist! Oh and leave my apartement key on the kitchen table, because I want you gone before I come back!". Without giving Courtney a chance to respond something, Michael clapped his cell phone shut. Part of him was furious at her for calling him and making him feel guilty for treating her so bad. But another part of him was relieved to have the chance to say his piece before he kicked her ass out of his life for good.

Maria, who had listened to the conversation, opened the door and stepped outside. For the first time she felt sympathy towards him, because he had gone through the same shit she had three years ago. She was the same, she knew that Billy had cheated on her with a few other girls, but she ignored it. Until it one day when she stood in front of the mirror and couldn´t bear the sight any longer. A day later she broke up with her boyfriend of four years. That was the best decision she had made in her life so far and she didn´t regret it. " Hey. What do you think about a movie night? We could do a X-men marathon and eat us sick on sweets? Or maybe we could watch horror movies and eat us sick on sweets? But we could also forget about the movies and just eat us sick with sweets?".

Michael hadn´t even noticed that he wasn´t alone any longer. For a moment he startled when he heard Maria, but then he saw in her smiling face and he forgot what happened minutes ago. A slight smile was pulling at the corner of his mouth. She was so damn cute and thankfully covered in a bathrobe that belonged to a man, because it was enveloping her complete body. He thought about her suggestion. Actually he would rather hit a bar and get drunk. But he knew that he was here to do a job and it wasn´t smart to get smashed at it. " What movies do you have to offer?".

" Well, the X-men trigoly, the Scream trigoly, Scary Movie 1+2, Biker Boyz, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blair Witch Project, the Lord of the rings trilogy and Harry Potter 1-4", Maria just counted her favourite movies, because she knew that if Michael knew that Matrix and Braveheart were on the menu she would have to see those movies and no matter how hot Keanu Reeves and Mel Gibson were looking, she had no desire to watch it.

Michael mulled over the selection. He was sure that it wasn´t everything. She had two brothers and they probably had movies with no plot but much action. However he wasn´t too picky at the moment. " Let´s see Lord of the rings".

Maria jumped happily around mentally. Juhuu, finally she had time again to watch Aragorn and Legolas save Middle Earth and with that the small hobbit Frodo. Grinning from ear to ear she dragged Michael into the living room and made him comfortable on the huge couch before she prepared an evening full of joy.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanx for the lovely feedback and sorry for letting you in the suspense so long. But here´s my newest chapter. Hope you like it. Special thanks to those who are not to shy to write me something such as RoswellJunkie, me, Jo, RedJewel2662 and vampout. **

**P.S.: Yes, I´m german and thanks for the nice compliment. I try my best.**

**Chapter 4 Reaching a common ground**

While Michael was still confused about the change in his companion, Maria was in the kitchen and put a pack of salted popcorn in the microwave, get two glasses and tampered with the liquor cabinet. She knew that her mother had stowed away some bottles of her favourite red wine. When she found what she was looking for, she discovered something even better than wine. Two bottles Tequila. Immediately she snatched it and searched for lime and the saltshaker. After a few minutes she had everything she needed and carried it in the living room. But before she joined a slightly perplexed Michael on the couch, she made a stop the bedroom first and slipped into something more comfortable, what contained an old black sweatpants and a white t-shirt that reached a little over her belly button. Then she went back to her watchdog, who had finally taken off his leather jacket and his black boots and was almost lying on the sofa.

" Do you have to hog the whole couch for yourself?".

Michael smirked in her direction and spread out his arms to cover more space. She was just too easy to annoy and he liked it. " Hey, you said I should make myself comfortable and that is what I´m doing".

Maria glared at him while her hand finally made its way on her hips. He could be so damn infuriating and he seemed to enjoy it to make her mad. But she wouldn´t let herself bother from him tonight. Even if she had to bite off her tongue to do that. " All right. Then I just have to sit on you", without giving Michael a chance to move, she lowered her butt on his legs and jumped up and down a few times.

" Stop it, okay. You won", she wasn´t that heavy and there were worse things than having this nice piece of ass sitting on him. But he didn´t want her irritating him the whole evening.

Smiling like she just got the oscar for a main role Maria snatched the remote and pressed the play button while she made herself comfortable besides Michael. After she found the right position she watched on the monitor and saw the the first scene from the hobbits. Immediately she noticed that she forgot something. Namely the tequila. Pushing the pause button she took the two shot glasses and filled them with the liquid. After that she chopped up two slices of lemon and put the saltshaker more in their sight. " So Mr. Hotshit. I´ve got a game for you. Everytime we see the ring or we hear the mention of the ring, we have to take a shot of Tequila".

Michael eyed her amused. She sounded like she had played this game before. " But this movie is about a ring. I mean I can count the times we don´t see the ring or hear of it with one hand".

" That´s the point of this whole game. Besides did you know how hilarious hobbits can be when you´re drunk?", not to mention the scenes with Gollum. She and Alex almost laughed themself to death when they watched Lord of the rings after a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Michael was tempted to take her up on the offer. But he was here to protect her, which he couldn´t do when he was drunk. He needed a clear head to function properly. " I can´t. I´m here to watch over you, not to get wasted with you".

Maria used her female charme and smiled seductively at him. Usually she didn´t need to do anything to get man to do what she wanted. Strangly Michael wasn´t like them, he was more stubborn. " You can still do that tomorrow and the day after that and after that. But tonight we get trashed and forget everything for a few hours. And it´s stupid to drink alone".

" All right, when you put it this way", Michael couldn´t let her do this. It was rude to let somebody drink without companion. And maybe he could forget his phonecall for at least a few hours.

Happily Maria clapped her hands together and in that moment she looked like a real airhead and she felt even that way. Too bad that she was still sober, at least then she would have had a excuse for her behavious. Calming down she let the movie continue while licking her hand, strewing salt on the spot and taking her shotglass full of tequila in her hand.

Michael did the same and almost groaned when he watched her tongue coming out to wet the place for the salt. He cursed his heated body. Think about the call from Courtney. Think about her lying ass cheating on you. Think about Marias hot body wiggling under him. Damn, stop it. Forgetting the salt on his hand he drank his tequila in one quick gulp. It almost burned his inside and the taste was aweful, but he had to get his thoughts under control. " Oh hell. This shit can wake the dead".

" You did it wrong, silly. You have to lick the salt, take the shot and then bite into the lemon", to show him how it was done, she demonstrated it. She made everything slow so that he could see everything and know what he had to do. But as soon as the alcohol was flowing down her pipe, she let out a small yell and slapped her hands on the table in front of her.

Michael watched fascinated her delicious looking mouth. Did the girl even know how sexual she appeared just now? He almost came into his pants. Damn, she would be probably trouble for him someday. If not today then another time. Even if she made something silly like grimacing. " Okay, next time I remember it".

Maria smiled at him. She forgot to tell him that she got trashed easily and it wouldn´t take her long before she started to slur or laughed about everything. She wasn´t some heavy drinker, just sometimes at parties, but then she just did cocktails with not so much alcohol. Hearing Gandalf talking about the ring, she immediately forgot what she wanted to say and poured the tequila in the glasses. Lifting them both she gave one to Michael. " To the ring".

" You´re weird", but unbelievable sexy and he had nothing against sexy weirdos. It would be something new for him. Someone that was the opposite from him. Shaking his head he drank, trying to ban those thoughts from his mind. This wouldn´t work. She was his charge and he had watched Bodyguard and knew that a relationship between them were impossible.

Maria put the glass down and bit into her lemon, scrunching up ner nose at the sour taste. Oh god, she could already imagine how she would feel tomorrow or even look like. But she didn´t care, it wasn´t like she wanted to impress her watchdog, although he was the hottest thing she had seen in a long while. He was an ass and annoying, but so damn hot at it that she couldn´t resist. Rubbing her forehead, she was sure that the tequila already worked, because she couldn´t think that. Damn, she was doomed.

**Halfway through the movie**

Michael was half lying and half hanging from the huge couch with Maria sitting between his legs and mumbling something incoherent. They both had stopped drinking after the first bottle was empty. They hadn´t needed it anyway, because they had been drunk before the hobbits had been out of middle earth. Here and there they laughed about the little people with their big hairy feet. Maria even had pulled Michael´s socks off and observed his left foot to see if there were hairs, too. Giggling she had put her hand under his jeans and let it wander as far as she could reach while the owner the legs started to wiggle it. He almost kicked her accidently when she found his most ticklish spot. Suddenly she heard the voice of her favourite character from the movie and she turned her attention on the monitor to watch Aragorn appearing.

" Oh man, he´s so damn hot and manly. I want to have his babies".

Michael who hadn´t even noticed her distracted state and still thought she was busy with him, almost fell on the ground when he heard that. Startling he sat up straighter and looked at her. " What? You want my babies? Okay, let´s start".

Maria turned to him just in time to see him stretching his arms out and bending in her direction with closed eyes and his lips pursed. Amused she put her hand on his face and pushed him away. " Not you, dumbass", she pined in the direction of the tv. " I meant Aragorn".

" This jackass? I´m so much better than him. At least I don´t look like I haven´t bathed in months and I´m not wearing my muff in my face", Michael couldn´t understand why every woman was so crazy after this man. It wasn´t like he was so special. But still not so bad like this blonde with the spiked ears. Lego or something.

Maria glared at him while she pinched his shoulder, hard. No one was allowed to diss her man. He was a god in her eyes. All right, he wasn´t even a real person, but she was a girl and they dreamed about fantasy men all the time. Besides it made their boyfriends or soon to be boyfriends jealous. " Hey, don´t you dare say something bad about my Aragorn. He is smart and strong and he looks so damn gorgeous with his rough appearance".

Michael snorted disdainful at her, fully aware that she hadn´t even noticed it. She was busy with watching the movie again. Angrily he gripped her arm and pulled her towards him. Forcefully he pressed his lips on hers and kissed her like he had never kissed before. Happily he found out that her lips were as soft as he imagined it and tasted like some fruit. After a few seconds he pushed himself off of her with a dazed expression. " Yeah. You think Aragorn can do the same?".

" Uuuuuhhhhh. What?", Maria was too stunned and to aroused to think. What just happened and how could they do it again? Holy shit, she still felt a tingling in her lips and a prickling down south. Oh god and she had to sleep in a room with him tonight!

Michael smiled cockily, feeling no pain about doing something he should have done sooner. Smelling the fruity scent he touched his lips where he found all of her lipgloss smeared on it. Thankfully it was without color or he would have looked like an idiot. " That good, he?".

Maria glared at him, for hitting the nail head on and for letting her thoughts drift to his rough as well as tender lips. She imagined herself enjoying them while they kissed every part of her naked flesh. Just the notion was making her hot. Damn it, silently she cursed him. " Don´t be so smug. I haven´t kissed Aragorn yet and can´t compare. So maybe we should wait until I had the chance to change that and then we´ll meet again and then I will see who was better".

" Or you can forget the loser and just kiss me", Michael definitely was for option number two. He was aware that the alcohol effected him and he would regret everything in the morning, but for now he was content with making out with her.

Maria pondered his offer for a while, taking sweet time to punish him. Besides she didn´t want him to think she was easy to get or to please. He wasn´t that good anyway. Shit, now she was already lying to herself. What the hell, she was drunk and wouldn´t remember anything tomorrow. " Okay. But keep your hands above the shoulders".

Michael started pouting at that. He wanted to grope a little, just to feel if the rest of her body was as soft as her lips. But he would respect her wishes and put his hands on her shoulders. Until she told him otherwise. However he wouldn´t try to change her mind. " Oh come on. You can´t be serious. I want to touch you and not just your face".

" Hey, you already saw more than I wanted. Besides didn´t you say that I looked like a twelve year old?", she shook her finger in front of his face like a teacher scolding a child. Combined with the chastiting glance in her eyes she was the perfect image of some preschool lady.

Michael tried to think back at the moment he uttered this comment. Knocking his fingers on his cheek he mulled over the fact that he hadn´t said something so cruel. " I can´t remembering saying that to you. Are you sure it was me?".

Maria wasn´t sure anymore. Had he told her that or had it been someone else? It didn´t matter anyway. Shaking her head she put herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Grinning like an idiot she wasn´t sure what to do anymore. It had been a long time since she had been with a man. " Whatever".

" Oh god", did she still want him to keep his hands upward, because if it was like that he couldn´t guarantee it. She felt so good on him, her small but round ass was exactly sitting on his hard rod. His hands were itching to trace her beautiful curves and especially her two best friends.

Maria bent closer until they shared their breath with each other. " Just call me Maria", she said before covering his mouth with hers. She always thought it was better to act than talk it to death.

Michael thought he was in heaven when she pushed her tongue carefully towards his. Both duelling, trying to win the battle, no one wanting to give up. Then she left his lips and trailed hot kissed down on his jaw. After that she worked on his throat. He was so sure that he either exploded every moment or he woke up to notice that he had a dream. He enjoyed the slight nipping and forced himself to let his hands were they were, what was pretty hard for him. Speaking of hard, his pants shrunk the last seconds and it was getting uncomfortable for him. But suddenly everything stopped and he heard a strange sound, it was like a quiet snoring. Pulling Maria forward, he saw that her eyes were closed. Great, he was so aroused that he could bang anything and she just feel asleep on him. He fought with himself if he should wake her or let her sleep. Almost pounding his head on something heavy he opted for the latter. Laying her carefully on the couch, he took the thin blanket on the back, made himself comfortable behind her and covered them both. Angrily he watched the rest of Lord of the rings until he also feel asleep with his left arm protectively around Marias hip.

**Next morning**

Maria was the first to wake up after their party night and immediately noticed that it was too bright to open her eyes, the reason she closed them again. Her head was painfully throbbing totally in sync with the twisting in her stomach. She felt like a truck had hit her while some hammer worked on her head. Surprised she felt a slight breeze coming from behind her and something was poking her in the butt. Startled she turned her body around, of course carefully and not too fast or else she would lose her dinner from yesterday. Slowly opening her eyes she gaped at the sleeping face of Michael. He was looking different, more at ease and not so guarded like he did when he was awake. She liked that, although she also liked his usual grim expression. Forgetting her hurting head and her upset stomach for a moment she traced his features with delicate care, feeling the light stubble on his cheek and the hot breath blowing on her fingers. He was even hotter so unkept and his hair mated to his head, it gave him something dark and dangerous.

" Could you stop that. It tickles".

Maria pulled her hand back shocked. She hadn´t even realized he woke up. Slightly ashamed she stood up, trying to hide the hurt at his obvious gruff way. She thought that last night had changed something. Evidently not for him. " It´s a wonder you can feel something. Your face feels like a cactus. I almost scrubbed flesh off of my finger".

Michael finally opened his eyes at her snappish comment. Woah, what went up her ass this morning? Someone got up from the wrong side of the bed or it was pms. " Meow. Retract your claws, Catwoman".

" Oh shut up. You know what stop talking to me altogether", Maria rubbed her temples while she walked into the kitchen to get some aspirin. Men were the worst that could happen to a woman, especially those who were hard to judge. God should have sent a manuel for them or at least some warning signs so that all females knew who was bad and who was not.

Michael couldn´t figure her out. Firstly she´s behaving like a snobby princess, then she showed him her softer side and now she was like this bitchy cheerleader. If she started throwing up green soup he was immediately calling a priest. " What is your problem? Did you remember that you forgot your favourite pair of shoes or what is it?".

Maria counted to ten before she exploded and killed him. She should stay calm and mature about that. They were adults and old enough to discuss this like civilised people. But after a few seconds she gave a damn about being mature and she threw the bottle with the aspirin at him. When she heard it hit her target she hide her laughter behind her hand. Now she felt a lot better.

" What the hell did you do that for? Are you mental", Michael stormed into the kitchen with the bottle in his hand and pushing it under her nose. He was pretty angry and the vein on his throat was throbbing visibly under the skin.

Maria smiled innocently at him, making an appearance like butter wouldn´t melt in her mouth. Something she learned from her mother before she could talk or crawl. It had saved her ass from many punishment. " Why are you so angry? I just thought you needed some aspirin for your headache. No need to get all riled up".

Michael lifted his hands, close to strangle her. Unfortunately he would risk a lot of money when he killed her. So he swallowed his anger and stomped away from her. He decided to get out and let the fresh air clear his head a little. But when he opened the door he was startled, because someone was standing in front of it just in the process to knock. Instantly Michael drew his weapon, which he had been having in the back of his jeans and pointed it at the guy staring scared at him. " What are you doing here?".

" Yo bro, put the gun down".

Maria hearing the ruckus in the hall walked towards the voices. Surprised she saw an unfamiliar face standing outside. A man with a dark mowhawk, more holes in his face than a golf court and a dirty smile. His blue jeans were torn at places and she saw a nipple piercing outlined through the tight black t-shirt. But despite all that, he was looking like Michael " Oh my god? Who are you?".

Michael turned to her, apparently not amused to see the other man at this place. Scratching his eyebrow he grinned sheepishly. " That´s my twin brother Rath".

TBC


End file.
